I was going to update this chapter last week, but I got two projects on hand...actually I still do, but I just simply couldn't resist updating this chapter. Nothing's special about this chapter, really, but I just couldn't help myself and end up slacking off to update this. Anyways, I kept on forgetting to inform you one thing about this story: Please do be patient with this story (not the updating period part), because this could be quite a long story (perhaps at least 20 chapters...is this long?). However, I'm almost postive that this story won't be as long as 40 something chapters...almost because anything can happen. Anyways, enjoy this chapter and you are always welcome to give me some feedbacks, comments, criticisms.
Disclaimer: Don't Harry Potter. Only own the plot and some of the obvious characters in the story.
Gosh, it's almost Christmas and I am here writing about summer break.
"Theodore, Theodore!" Aunt Mary knocks on the door for the fourth time of the day.
Theodore stares out the window, trying to find the inspiration to complete the song that he just started a week before summer break. He is able to take his aunt's knockings for the past week as part of this inspiration hunting. However, the knockings are becoming more irregular. There are fadedly any patterns to them and therefore, no longer workable. He finally opens the door.
"Yes?" He says, in an annoyed tone.
"Oh Theodore, you should stop locking yourself up in the room." Aunt Mary says this as if she regrets putting up a door after all.
"But Aunt Mary, I don't lock myself in the room." He fakes an innocent tone in his words, "Why, I merely close the door."
"Please, Theodore..." She sighs, "I realized that you don't like to help out in the store very much."
"I'm glad you understand, Aunt Mary. Thank you for being so understanding." He wants to close the door, but his aunt stops him. "What?"
"It's dinner time." She tries to smile, even when the ton in her throat feels heavier by the second.
"Alright." He sighs.
The lamplight sways back and forth mildly, playing tag with its shadow on the dinning table. Aunt Mary flickers her eyes on Theodore occasionally, while he chews on his food and seems to be deep in thoughts.
She finally coughs on purpose to get his attention. When he looks up, she begins hesitatingly, "Theodore dear, you should really do something outside, instead of staying in your room all the time."
"I don't stay in my room all the time." He replies simply.
She shakes her head and massages her temples. "I don't want to come down to this...But I got you a job."
Theodore puts down his fork and looks directly at her now. When she doesn't say anything, he raises one eyebrow. "And what's this job you are speaking of?"
"Theodore, why are you like this?" She suddenly asks, the tears in her eyes are no longer in the hidden. "You're a teenager, you're supposed to go and have fun. You're supposed to smile...And no, don't give me that look, Theodore. I don't know about the ways of your father, but I am not going to let you live like this. You're not going to live like this, not under my watch."
"Is this about the rent, because I----"
"No, Theodore." She interrupts him, "Don't you see? I'm doing this for your own good. You are my sister's son, and she is very dear to me."
Theodore didn't say anything for a while as he picks at his food with the fork. He doesn't look at Aunt Mary and quietly, not really expecting an answer, he asks, "Why did you bring her up? What's she got to do with this? In fact, why did they ever decided to marry and have me?" He lifts his pair of light brown eyes to level his aunt's hazel ones, "I live my life alone and they never have anything to do with me except for that one moment of birth."
He doesn't know if what he's been saying to Aunt Mary has all been merely a lie, or if he is saying it to her at all. He doesn't want to think about it, but it doesn't want to leave him alone either. Neither of him or his aunt talks for the rest of the dinner.
The next day, early in the morning, he has arrived at the most unusual decision as he makes his way to the kitchen. Aunt Mary is preparing breakfast over the stove.
"Good morning." He says briskly and sits at the table.
"Good morning, Theodore." She glances over her shoulder. "Just pour yourself some orange juice, breakfast will be ready in a minute."
"You know that job you were talking about last night...I will try it." He tries not to sound awkward. "Just tell me what the job is."
His aunt turns around and takes a moment before the words sink completely in her head. She smiles, "Thank you, Theodore."
"So where are we going again?" Theodore asks his aunt. His aunt has taken a long while fixing herself in front of the bathroom mirror that they end up rushing out the door.
Aunt Mary catches her breathe from running, "We're going to my friend's place..."
"And why are we running instead of taking some other transportations?" Theodore coughs a little since he is not used to much running in the morning. The cold air keeps rushing in and out of his lungs.
"Merlin! I can't believe it slipped my mind." She laughs at her own foolishness. "But we're almost there anyways."
Theodore rolls his eyes.
When they open the door to the place where Theodore has brought his electric guitar, he is dumbfounded.
"This is the place?" He asks.
"Yes it is. My friend, Andrew, owns this place." She answers, happily.
The place instantly triggers his memory on the unexpected drummer.
"Mary-Ann." A guy behind the counter says and walks to them while flashing a charming smile at Aunt Mary. He is the guy with the acne that Theodore sees last time.
"Andrew." Aunt Mary pronounces the name playfully and flashes a smile back at the man.
Theodore wants to turn away at their 'classic formal' greeting. He couldn't believe that he has to witness something like this in the morning.
"And this young man here must be your nephew." He looks at Theodore up and down. "Hey, you're the kid who brought a guitar here last week. Hi, I'm Andy." He extends out a hand.
"Theodore Nott." He introduces himself, but ignores the hand.
"Wow, tough attitude, TN." Andy says in jest.
"TN?" Theodore frowns as he repeats the name. "I think you've been sadly mistaken, but my name's Theodore----just Theodore."
"Wow, you're a serious fellow. Alright, The-o-dore." Then he turns to Aunt Mary, "Don't worry, Mary-Ann. Theodore here would be in good hands."
After Aunt Mary leaves the store, Andy makes no hesitation and shows Theodore around. He first explains the location for each genre of music, and then quickly moves on to how to care for each type of instrument daily as well as the locations. He occasionally glances at Theodore to make sure he is listening, and surprisingly enough, he looks attentive. Although, there is this discomfort about the way he looks and Andy just couldn't put his finger on it; he looks exactly as one should look when he is paying attention. Andy find it easier if this look is a look of mockery, but the problem is that it isn't so.
"Yes...so..." Andy finds himself hesitating a bit, but quickly laughs it off. He needs to look certain, "There are boxes of cassette tapes in the back storage room. Why don't you stack those onto the 'New Arrival' section."
"Sure." He responds. "By the way, it's Theodore. Please, do not put my name in some slang terms." As he walks to the storage room, he smirks because of Andy's reaction. That is what he aiming for, just pure discomfort without a reason. Andy merely couldn't see that Theodore was listening, but also was looking right past him.
So...if you want and because it's your free will...you can comment on this story, this chapter, or any other chapters whenever you like.